Food handling apparatus



Oct. 8, 1940. A, MEEKER 2,217,070

FOOD HANDLING APPARATUS Original Filed Aug. 26, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l Ihmenfor \ittormu Oct. 8, 1940. D. A. MEEKER 2,217,070

FOOD HANDLING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Aug. 26, 1936 1 (Limp FEW jmk Littorneg Patented Oct. 8, 1940 UNITED STATES FOOD HANDLING APPARATUS David A. Meeker, Troy, Ohio, assignor to The Hobart Manufacturing Company,

corporation of Ohio Troy, Ohio, a

Original application August 26, 1936, Serial No. 97,972. Divided and this application February 15, 1938, Serial No. 190,638

\ 3 Claims.

This invention relates to food handling apparatus and more particularly to cofiee mills.

It is a principal object of the invention to provide a coffee mill adjustable to a plurality of grades of fineness of grind and which aflords direct visual indication to the customer of the setting of the mill.

It is a further object to provide in a mill of this character an indicating device which is simple and efficient in construction and which provides a prominent visual indication to the customer.

It is also an object to provide in such a coffee mill an indicator having markings thereon corresponding to the several grades of fineness, the markings being selectively illuminated to provide the desired visual indication to the customer in accordance with the setting of the mill.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a coifee mill constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the mill with the upper portions of the casing removed to show the construction of the mill;

Fig. 3 is a detailed horizontal sectional view showing a modified form of control and operating. mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a partial side elevational view showing a modified form of construction of the indicating means;

Fig. 5 is a view partially schematic and partially in side elevation showing a still further modified construction of indicating means; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing a detail of the construction of Fig. 5.

This application is a division of copending application Serial No. 97,972 filed August 26, 1936.

Referring to the drawings which disclose a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cofiee mill comprises a main housing [0 comprising enclosing wall portions mounted upon a base structure II. The mill is provided with motive power means l2 such as an electric driving motor, and grinding burrs l3 Operatively driven thereby. At the top of the mill is a hopper It for receiving the coffee to be ground, which may be closed by a pivoted cover IS. A gate member l6 at the mounted on a threaded part of the mill and in response to rotation, the grade selector member moves inwardly or outwardly, causing the shaft 2| to move axially, to thereby efiect control of the spacing of burrs I3. Such grade selecting 5 means has not been shown in detail because it is well known and understood in the art. Preferably the grade selector means comprises a structure such as shown in applicant's Patent No. 2,090,634 dated August 24, 1937, and assigned to the same assignee as this application.

Operatively associated with the grade selector mechanism and the grinding burrs, is an interlock means for regulating the control of the machine in accordance with the setting of the grade selector. This means may comprise a cam 25 located upon the inner portion of the grade selector handle, which is adapted to'cooperate with an axially movable shaft 26 mounted for sliding axial movement. Spring means 21 tends normally to urge the shaft toward the cam and to maintain engagement therebetween. The shaft may be provided with interlock fingers 28 adapted to cooperate with links 29 connected to the motor switch operating member 30 and to the shaft 3| of the pivoted gate It to provide for interlocking action thereof. This shaft preferably extends to the exterior of the mill casing where an operating handle is provided in convenient position for the clerk or operator. Operation of such handle to one position effects opening of the gate from the hopper to supply the material to the grinding burrs, and the closing of the motor switch; the reverse takes place upon opposite movement thereof. The purpose of interlock mechanism of this character is to assure that the clerk, at each operation of the mill, will be required to adjust the grade selector to a predetermined setting; the interlock structure prevents the turning on of the motor switch, or the opening of the gate to feed coffee from the hopper, or both, unless the grade selector has been turned or adjusted from its neutral or off position to one of its several grinding positions. The clerk being thus required to effect adjustment of the grade selector at each operation of the mill is more likely to ascertain the wishes of the individual customer, and to adjust the grade selector accordingly. Details of. this interlock mechanism are not shown herein, being fully shown and claimed in others of applicants copending applications now issued as Patents Nos. 2,090,634, 2,060,807, 2,141,310 and 2,141,311.

In accordance with the present invention novel and highly effective means are provided for affording visual indication to the customer of the setting of the mill. Thus where an interlock mechanism such as above described is employed, the clerk is required to eflectthe setting of the mill to one of its several grinding positions. And 00 ment with a pinion 38 mounted upon cross shaft 31. A lever arm 38 is fastened to shaft 31, and extends toward the side wall face of the mill. Attached to the lever arm is a plate ll having a plurality of indicating positions thereupon arranged at varying locations over its face. 'I'he arrangement of theselocations, as shown in Fig. 1, is preferably such that as the plate is pivotally moved through its range of adjustment, each of the indicating markings II will be brought successively into a reading position in a horizontal position. In such position they are adapted to cooperate with a sight opening 42 formed within the front plate 43 upon the face of the mill. This plate is otherwise closed so that only the one indication which is horizontally positioned, depending upon the position of adjustment of the grade selector means, and in alignment with opening 42, is visible. A light source ll, preferably controlled by the switch means II which also eflects control of the motor operation is positioned in such relation to the indicator structure as to cast light thereupon. While the plate may be formed of metal or the like, it is preferred to have it formed of a translucent material such as ground glass. The indications ll thereon may then be formed by opaque lettering or the like, so that the lettering becomes clearly readable upon illumination of the plate. As shown, the markings may comprise the words "Open pot, Percolator, Drip pot, and Vacuum pot" corresponding to the several grades of fineness of grind as required in. p operly making coffee by the several methods.

In operation, in a device of this character the coffee to be ground is first placed within the hopper I4, and the lid l5 thereafter closed. The clerk having ascertained the customer's wishes in accordance with the method of making coffee utilized by such customer, eifects adjustment of the grade selector 2! to the desired positioning to give the necessary fineness of grind. Preferably the bevelled face of the grade selector is provided with indications, cooperating with a fixed index point, readable from the rear or clerks side of the mill so that his reading and adjustment will correspond with that indicated upon the customers side. Having adJusted the mill to the desired setting, the corresponding marking 42 is brought into viewing position and the operation of the mill may be started by turning on the motor and opening the control gate, the coffee being ground to the indicated rade of fineness. Simultaneously with the energizing of the mill, the marking is'clearly illuminated so that the customer is advised of the setting of the mill and if the clerk has failed to prop erly adjust the mill can promptly call attention to the fact. At the end of the grinding operastood that the indicating device may be used with or without the interlock features as de scribed.

Referring to Fig. 3, there is shown a modified means for causing actuation of the indicating mechanism. As shown, the cam 25 eifects axial adjustment of shaft 26 which carries the interlock mechanism II as previously described. In place however of the rack and pinion, the shaft may be provided with a fixed lug adapted to engage a follower ll fixedly attached to cross shaft {1. As will be readily apparent, in response to the movement of the grade selector member, shaft 28 is caused to move axially as before, this axial movement bringing lug ll against follower Si in order to effect predetermined rotation of shaft 31 to provide corresponding positioning of the indicator means.

In Fig. 4 is shown a modified construction of indicating means. In this construction the shaft corresponds with shaft 31 and may be operated in the same manner in accordance with the setting of the grade selector mechanism. In accordance with this construction however the face SI of the mill is provided with a plate carrying the several indications of fineness of grind thereon, and provided with light transmitting sections or jewels 82. These sections which may be provided with numerals, as illustrated, to show, in accordance with the particular one illuminated, the setting of the mill andlegends are preferably associated with the numerals to show the fineness of grind or the like. Selective illumination of the several markings is accomplished by means of the light shielding member 63 in arcuate form, which is adapted to be pivotally moved in response to the turning of shaft 80. Member 83 is provided with a light transmitting portion 84 of such shape that it overlies the jewels 62, one at a time, in its range of adjusting movement. A light source similar to that described above is provided in the rear of plate GI, and light is thus selectively permitted to pass into illuminating relation with a predetermined jewel or marking 62 in accordance with the location of opening 64. In order to make the jewel light up brilliantly with a single light source, the light may be made in tubular form and mounted vertically; further the lower edge of opening 64 may be provided with a light reflecting surface adapted to reflect the light from the source toward the jewels, in each position of adjustment.

In Figs. 5 and 6 is shown a still further modi-' one directly.associated therewith, so that upon energizing any of the light sources 12 only that legend directly associated therewith will be caused to be illuminated.

Means are provided forcausing selective illumination of the appropriate marking in accordance with the setting of the grade selector means. This comprises switch means II which is arranged to be operated in accordance with the position of the grade selector member 20. For this purpose an insulating ring I6, which ,may be an integral part of the mill casing, carries an inner continuous contact 11, and an outer series of contacts I8, insulated from each other, and separately connected each to one terminal of the several light sources I2. The two sets of contacts II and I8 are located in corresponding positions adjacent each other, and are adapted to be engaged by a pair of contact brushes I9, 80, which are housed within an insulating contact assembly 8| carried by and movable with the adjustable grade selector means 20. Spring means 82 urges each of the contact members into engagement with the fixed contacts I1 and I8. Thus in response to the turning of the grade selector member 20 to the several positions of adjustment thereof, the contact assembly I5 provides for establishing contact from the ring 11 to that one of contacts I8 corresponding to the setting of the mill. Suitable connections from a power source 83, as shown in Fig. 5, provide for the correspondingillumination of the associated light source I2 which effects the illumination of the proper sign to indicate clearly to the customer the setting of the mill. When the grade selector is turned to the neutral or non-grind position the contact pins I9, move beyond the range of the fixed contacts, into a position such as that illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 5. In such position of adjustment none of the light sources is energized and all the markings remain unilluminated.

While the forms of apparatus herein described constitute preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise forms of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A coffee mill of the character described which comprises grinding means, a casing for enclosing said grinding means, grade selector means including a rotatable member accessible from the exterior of said casing for adjusting the grinding means to vary the fineness of grind and provide for grinding a plurality of grades each of predetermined different fineness, and means for indicating to a customer the setting of said grinding means including a rack mounted for axial movement within said casing, means including a cam surface on said rotatable member for directly moving said rack in accordance with movement of said grade selector means in either direction, a rotatableshaft extending substantially transversely of the axis of said rack and having a pinion adapted to effect rotation of the shaft in accordance with axial movement of the rack in either direction, an indicator plate positioned within said casing closely adjacent a wall thereof and having a plurality of markings each indicative of one of said predetermined different grades of fineness of grind, said wall of the casing having a sight opening providing for viewing individual markings on said indicator plate, and means for mounting said indicator plate for shifting movement thereof upon rotation of said rotatable shaft to effect individual registration of said markings with said sight opening in accordance with the setting of said grinding means.

2. A coffee mill of the character described which comprises grinding means, a casing for enclosing said grinding means, grade selector means including a rotatable member accessible from the exterior of said casing for adjusting the grinding means to vary the fineness of grind and provide for grinding a plurality of grades each of predetermined different fineness, and means for indicating to a customer the setting of said grinding meansincluding a shaft mounted in said casing for movement along thelongitudinal axis thereof, means including a cam surface on said rotatable member for effecting direct axial movement of said shaft in accordance with the movement of said grade selector means in either direction, a second shaft rotatably mounted within said casing and extending substantially transversely of said first shaft, means providing a driving connection between said first shaft and said second shaft for effecting rotation of the second shaft in accordance with axial movement of the first shaft in either direction, an indicator plate positioned within said casing closely adjacent a wall thereof and having a plurality of markings each indicative of one of said predetermined different grades of fineness of grind, said indicator plate and said markings thereon being of contrasting characteristics as to light transmitting properties, said wall of the casing having a sight.

including a rotatable member accessible from' the exterior of said casing for adjusting the grindingmeans to vary the fineness of grind and provide for grinding a plurality of grades each of predetermined different fineness, and means for indicating to a customer the setting of said grinding means including a shaft mounted for axial movement within said casing, means cooperating with said rotatable member for effecting movement of said shaft in accordance with movement of the grade selector means in either direction, a rotatable shaft extending substantially transverse of the axis of said axially movable shaft, means interconnecting said shafts for rotation of the latter in accordance with axial movement of the former, an indicator plate positioned within said casing closely adjacent a wall thereof and having a plurality of markings each indicative of one of said predetermined different grades of fineness of grind, said wall of the casing having asight opening providing for viewing individual markings on said indicator plate, and means for mounting said indicator plate for shifting movement thereof upon rotation of said rotatable shaft to effect individual registration of said markings with said sight opening in accordance with the setting of said grinding means.

DAVID A. MEEKEB. 

